Alucard Dooku
Alucard Dooku was a Human male who served as a General, Jedi Knight and Imperial Knight as well as a Grand Inquisitor in the Galactic Empire and later became the Head of State of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Born on the planet Serenno in 55 BBY, he was the heir to vast wealth and the noble title of Count. By 39 BBY, Dooku had joined the Jedi Order and become an apprentice to Thame Cerulian. During the Second Clone War, Dooku fought alongside many Jedi on behalf of the Empire, a war in which the Empire narrowly prevailed, resulting in Dooku's promotion to a Jedi Knight. Dooku was a respected instructor in the Jedi Temple and became known as one of the most renowned swordsmen in the Galaxy. In 29 BBY, some members of the now defunct Jedi Order attempted to aid the Rebellion against the Empire. Dooku chose to remain faithful to the Empire in the conflict, and was soon rewarded for his loyalty, becoming an Imperial Knight and the leader of the Fist of the Empire. It was at around this time that Dooku married his great love and fellow Knight, Jocasta Nu, whom he had known since his early days as a Jedi. The pair would go on to have a son, Vladimir. Shortly after, he took Komari Vosa as his second apprentice, and later trained Tol Skorr for a time as well. After the death of Emperor Cosimo Palpatine II in 4 ABY, Dooku set himself up as a warlord after seizing the world of Gargon and eventually declared that he was the new Emperor. By the next year, Dooku had amassed a sizable armada of Star Destroyers and smaller cruisers, using the Super Star Destroyer Aggressor as his command ship. Because of his assertion, he was an immensely unpopular figure and was the target of many assassination attempts by others viaing for the throne such as Ysanne Isard and Sate Pestage. As a result, Dooku returned to his homeworld and reclaimed his birthright as Count of Serenno as well as his vast fortune. By 10 ABY, news of Dooku's claim to the vacant throne came to the Central Committee of Grand Moffs on Kessel. Their leader, Dantius Palpatine—the younger half-brother of Cosimo II—vowed to deal with Dooku after receiving the dark blessing of the Supreme Prophet of the Dark Side Kadann Ubooki, which the slavelord required to be named Emperor. Dooku doubted Palpatine's ability but nonetheless vowed to follow the man if he received Kadann's approval. Palpatine's plot failed within a year after obtaining the blessing, however, and Dooku, having retained full control of his armada, became a warlord once more. Dooku appeared on Raxus Prime and helped forge ties between the planets discontented with the New Republic as well as the Empire, and became the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. As the political leader of the Confederacy, Dooku led the organization against the New Republic. He recruited and trained five of his greatest warriors to lead the Confederate Army: Durge, the brutish Gen'Dai bounty hunter, as well as his Dark Jedi apprentice; Asajj Ventress, another one of Dooku's Dark Jedi apprentice's; General Sev Tann, Commander and Dark Acolyte; and General Grievous, the infamous Jedi slaying cyborg and droid leader. Biography Early life Alucard Dooku was born in 55 BBY on the planet Serenno into a wealthy family. His father was a nobleman whose family descended from Naboo while his mother was a Countess on Serenno and was believed to have Anzati in his bloodline. His parents were stern, but proud of his Force abilities, and willingly let him attend the Jedi Academy on Coruscant when he was fourteen. Because he was well aware of his origins, he felt driven to prove himself worthy of them. By far the swiftest learner in his year, Dooku was particularly apt at telekinesis and combat games such as push-feather. He could easily move objects with the Force since childhood, before he joined the Jedi. Dooku had several friends when he was younger, including fellow Initiates Jocasta Nu and Lorian Nod. In 38 BBY, Jedi Master Thame Cerulian chose Dooku as his apprentice. Cerulian sat on the Jedi High Council, and was renowned as a historian. Before he became Cerulian's pupil, Dooku studied diplomacy and signed up for special tutorials in Senate procedure. However, Lorian Nod was jealous of Dooku being chosen as an apprentice before him. Insecure about his future as a Jedi, Nod stole the Dark Holocron from the Jedi Archives, trying to gain an edge over other prospective students. Dooku visited Nod's room to talk his friend into returning the holocron, but the pair were interrupted by a teacher, who discovered the stolen item. Nod implicated Dooku in the theft, and Dooku was too shocked to contradict him. Nod later visited Dooku, and asked his friend to cover for him, but Dooku was still angry with Nod and did not give him any assurances. The next day, the two were on opposite sides in an urban tracking exercise and ended up brawling with each other. After the fight was broken up, Dooku and Nod were examined separately before the Jedi Council. Dooku told the truth about the theft of the holocron, and Nod was cast out of the Jedi Order. Because of this, the pair would become bitter enemies. Second Clone War Dooku later participated in the Second Clone War, learning much from his Master, and was the most gifted student Cerulian had ever seen. Dooku became an accomplished duelist with the lightsaber, and in his later years, few Jedi Masters were considered equal to Dooku's skill with a lightsaber. Under Cerulian's tutelage, Dooku became a powerful Jedi. As he grew older and continued to develop, Dooku became an outspoken individual who had strong views about the systemic corruption that plagued the Galactic Empire. Dooku became a Jedi Knight in his early twenties, and around this time, he began a relationship with fellow Jedi, Jocasta Nu, that would last for years to come. Sometime during the war, Dooku was part of a diplomatic envoy aboard a consular ship. However, negotiations failed and fighting broke out, during which, Wilhuff Tarkin, a member of the Republic Navy, was seriously injured. Dooku helped save him and they soon became friends and associates. Galidraan Of the many missions Dooku undertook during the Clone Wars, the deadly skirmish at Galidraan in 35 BBY was the most disastrous. An emergency call for aid by Galidraan's governor against a Mandalorian invasion prompted a swift but ill-prepared Jedi response. Dooku was the senior Jedi Knight of the twenty Jedi thrown together for the task force. Unlike most of his companions, he had some knowledge of the enemy they were facing. Dooku was aware of the Mandalorians' reputation as warriors and requested reinforcements from the Jedi Council. The urgency of the situation, however, required him to use only his initial task force. The Jedi were given the coordinates of the Mandalorian's camp and surrounded it, Dooku demanded their surrender. Instead, ? ordered the Mandalorians to open fire. The encounter decimated both sides, only concluding after the deaths of eleven Jedi and the near-complete destruction of Mandalorian's forces. Changing times Siding with the Empire As a Jedi Master, Dooku was one of the most highly regarded lightsaber instructors in the Jedi Order. Recordings of Dooku demonstrating lightsaber techniques were recorded and became mandatory viewing for two generations of Padawans. In addition, a lecture by Dooku on telekinesis was recorded by Jedi Master Asli Krimsan. In the recording, Dooku described an encounter he had with a Jedi Master when he was a pupil, in which he was asked him to move a pot with the Force. While Dooku thought the pot was light, and successfully moved it, it was actually massively heavy. During his time as an instructor within the Jedi Temple, Dooku's teachings on methods for conquering arrogance were also particularly well received. Dooku was offered a place on the Imperial Council, but he turned it down so that he could remain more independent as a proactive peacekeeper. The Council agreed that his skills made him well suited for such field work. Dooku was known as a political idealist and was skilled at resolving disputes throughout the Galaxy. Despite this prior refusal, he was later offered another seat and accepted, at his lover Jocasta Nu's urging. In 29 BBY, Dooku accompanied his lover and Jedi Councillor Jocasta Nu and his former apprentice ? on a mission to his homeworld of Serenno to resolve a dispute in the sector. Several years later, Dooku and Nu were assigned to protect Senator Blix Annon from pirates who were kidnapping senators for ransom. On the senator's ship, Dooku met up with his old friend, Eero Iridian, who was now serving as Blix's aide. Pirates attacked the vessel, exploiting weaknesses in the design, and Blix Annon was kidnapped despite the actions of the two Jedi. During the raid, Dooku recognized one of the pirates as his old friend Lorian Nod and became obsessed with not allowing Nod to win. He neither told his apprentice that he knew the kidnapper nor did he inform the Imperial Council of his failure to protect Senator Annon. Dooku suspected that the security weaknesses and malfunctions on the senator's craft during the battle has been deliberate sabotage, since the craft had recently undergone a security retrofit. He traced the sabotage of the senator's ship back to the responsible factory on the polluted ice world of Von-Alai. With Nu's help, Dooku discovered that the factory was owned by Caravan, a corporation belonging to Nod that used child labor on its assembly lines. While they were investigating further, Eero Iridian arrived. Telling the Dark Jedi that he'd found a worker willing to talk to them, he lured the pair into an ambush. There, Colicoid Eradicator droids suddenly appeared and threatened the two Dark Jedi. Iridian had betrayed his early friendship with Dooku and was now working for Lorian Nod. Dooku and Nu were forced to surrender in order to avoid collateral damage to the factory's numerous child workers. They were injected with toxins that paralyzed them and rendered them unconscious. The incapacitated Dark Jedi were subsequently transported to Lorian Nod's headquarters. The two Dark Jedi woke up in an unfamiliar room some time later, restrained by stun cuffs. They had been captured by Nod, who spoke to them and said he planned to hold them until Senator Annon was ransomed. Unfortunately for Nod, the senator died from a sudden heart attack. This panicked Iridian, who rushed into the room where the Dark Jedi were held and began to argue with the pirate leader. During their quarrel, Dooku broke free from his restraints and used the Force to summon his lightsaber through the door Iridian had opened. Dooku then dueled with Nod, intending to kill him. Only Nu's objection stopped him from slaying his overmatched foe. Instead, Dooku arrested the two pirates and returned to Coruscant with Nu. Dooku was a great influence on his pupil, as Skorr followed Dooku's moral teachings later in his life. Alderaanian crisis Pre-War In c. 15 BBY, the Anzati invaded the planet Kiffu, and Dooku along with a Imperial strike team were sent to settle the dispute. During this time, Dooku was injured and healed through a small blood transfusion by the Anzat, giving him some of the species enhanced abilities. Through the course of his stay, Dooku also formed a brief relationship with one of the natives, a widow named Galilahi Vos with whom he unknowingly fathered a son. Galactic Civil War He later fathered another son named Joclad. Imperial warlord Forming the Confederation Dealing with Anor and creation of the Peace Brigade Yuuzhan Vong War The Naboo crisis The monarch of Naboo had been replaced by an inexperienced and impressionable child. The Trade Federation rapidly built up its forces in the Naboo system, assembling enough battleships to ensure a tight blockade. At Dooku and the Alliance of Twelve's command, they closed the planet off and strangled its formerly thriving trade business. No supply ships were permitted to land or take off. The Federation then secured the outer gate to the system by stationing a battleship at Station TFP-9, its own outpost at the outer edge of the system, to ward off the curious and advertise the act to all who would listen. The last free entrance was closed off, and all incoming ships were informed that the Federation was acting in protest of the illegal taxes that the Republic had levied against them. The blockade of Naboo was an accomplished fact. For the next month, the New Republic Senate debated fiercely, but did nothing to help the Naboo. The Federation's representative, Lott Dod, successfully argued that they had not yet violated any Republic laws; they had attacked no ships, nor had they moved against Naboo itself. As no outright crime had been committed, the New Republic Security Force was powerless to intervene. The stalling further weakened the Borsk Fey'lya government; their defiance of his measures was in itself damaging, but the longer it went on, the more impotent Fey'ya appeared. The Royal House of Naboo proved harder to rein in than expected: their patience spent, yhey contacted Chief Fey'lya and told him that she held him personally responsible for her world's suffering. Shocked, pushed into a corner by his own conscience, and desperate to shore up his crumbling support, Fey'ya decided to act. He would call for a special session of the Senate to discuss the blockade, but to give him a strong bargaining position, he needed the battleships sent away from Naboo. He decided to send the Jedi to Naboo as ambassadors, hoping they would shake the Neimoidians' confidence and show them he meant business. The invasion of Naboo The blockade of Naboo did not have the effect that the Alliance of Twelve wished it to have on the Senate. The Vong had been hoping to use the blockade to increase their influence in that area of space. However, as the Federation's actions still toed the line of legality, the Federation's move was seen by most in the Senate as little more than harmless saber rattling. In the midst of this planning, the Alliance learned that Chief Fey'lya had arranged for two Jedi ambassadors, Kyp Durron and Owan Kenobi, to meet with the Federation leadership with the intent of forcing a settlement. When the panicked Neimoidians "informed" him, he feigned enraged surprise to get the Neimoidians under control, to focus them on the task at hand. Because the Jedi had been brought into the picture sooner than the Alliance would have liked, Dooku and the others ordered the Neimoidians to begin landing their troops. When Gunray questioned the legality of such action, they angrily told him that they would simply make it legal, and he ordered the Jedi to be killed. The Neimoidians acted accordingly, destroying the cruiser that had delivered the Jedi and immediately jamming all communications to and from Naboo. The conference room the Jedi "ambassadors" were in was next flooded with dioxis, a lethal poison. The Jedi survived the assassination attempt, however, and they managed to escape the Federation ship. Gunray, for fear of the Alliance's wrath, neglected to tell them this, but which nevertheless they discovered soon afterwards. Immediately upon the termination of their communication with Gunray, Amidala contacted him concerning the Federation's denial that Chief Fey'lya had sent ambassadors to speak with them as promised. The Federation's assault thus proceeded without incident, ahead of its original schedule. Within a day, most of the major cities, including the capital, were in Federation hands. Additionally, Amidala was captured along with her entire retinue, and the Neimoidians presented her with a treaty that would bring an air of legitimacy to their invasion. But she never signed it; instead, the Jedi, far from being dead, had secretly infiltrated Naboo, rescued Amidala and her retinue, commandeered a ship bound for Coruscant, and successfully evaded dozens of heavily armed battleships to escape. When Gunray informed the Alliance of this unfortunate turn of events shortly thereafter, the livid Dooku introduced them to Maul. Due to Amidala's ship sustaining damage in the escape, Durron and Kenobi recommended that they land on Tatooine, an obscure desert world in the Arkanis sector, to repair the ship before going on. Amidala agreed, and upon landing, Binks discreetly signaled Dooku and informed him that the ship had been damaged and was waylaid. Before Binks could further explain their location, he was interrupted by others on the ship and he abruptly ended the transmission. Regardless, Dooku could now have the signal traced to find out exactly where they landed. He handed the signal data over to Maul, and in a very short time they had narrowed the search to Tatooine. Maul knew the arid world of Tatooine had a small population, and predicted that his search of the planet would be a short one. Dooku told him to move against the Jedi first, and then take the queen once they were dead. Maul left for Tatooine, but he ultimately failed to kill the Jedi or retrieve Amidala. Some time after arriving on Coruscant, Amidala had declared her intention to reclaim Naboo from the Trade Federation by whatever means she could. Despite the dangers she left anyway, taking both Durron and Kenobi with her for protection. When Binks informed Dooku of her plans, he and the Alliance contacted the Neimoidians on Naboo, instructing them to kill Amidala, and notified them that Maul would be joining them to deal with the Jedi personally. Then he sent his apprentice off, with orders to make certain the Neimoidians killed the Queen, and that the Jedi fell by his own hand. While he and the rest of the Alliance of Twelve managed things on Metalorn, Dooku made time to go over the progress reports from Naboo that Maul and the Neimoidians were frequently sending to him. As they came in, he became increasingly baffled by Amidala's behavior: not only did she manage to escape Gunray's reach, but she had forged an alliance with the Gungans and assembled an army in the Lianorm Swamp, possibly in preparation for a strike against the Federation occupation force. If true (and Dooku, along with his own apprentice, knew that it was true via secret messages from Jar-Jar), she was acting far more aggressively than her tactical position suggested; privately Dooku doubted she would last even five minutes in such a contest. He gave his approval to Gunray's plan to meet the Gungans head-on in battle. Shortly after Maul fled from Naboo, Dooku was informed that Amidala had triumphed over the Trade Federation's forces. Against all odds, she had retaken her throne, and had captured Gunray and Haako. Of all the outcomes the battle could have had, Dooku and the others in the Alliance had not expected this one to come to pass, and left the Yuuzhan Vong furious at the failing. Personality and traits Alucard Dooku was an accomplished philosopher, orator, politician, and warrior. He was regarded as one of the greatest Imperial Knight's for his strength of character and his strength in the Force. Kane Skywalker considered him to be one of the Jedi Academy's greatest students and one of it's greatest failures. By the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War, Dooku had been a practitioner of the Force for nearly eight decades. During his time in the Empire, many, both allies and enemies alike, thought of him as an eccentric, arrogant, ruthless, ambitious and sadistic man. He had immense self-confidence in his skills as a duelist, marksman and as a strategist. Even as a child, Dooku felt driven to succeed. He was fully devoted to the ideals of both the Galactic Republic and Empire as well as the ideal of service to the galaxy. He sought to become a great Jedi Master, and did not even consider the possibility of a life outside the Order, though he knew of his heritage as a nobleman and at times felt self-conscious about it. Dooku chose pupils he thought had the potential to become great Jedi themselves, and endeavored to teach them all he knew. He had a sardonic, sarcastic sense of humour, once remarking after killing Hai Fat 'He always did like that mausoleum. Put him in it?' Dooku had several romantic relationships, one was with, Galilahi, with whom he had a daughter, Lequoia, and the second was with his wife and fellow Jedi, Jocasta Nu, with whom he had two sons, Vladmir and Joclad. His one time apprentice Komari Vosa also had an infatuation with him. This was one of the factors that led to his recommendation that she be dismissed from being his student. Dooku held very high expectations of government as a Jedi, and was perceived by his peers as a political idealist. He became increasingly disillusioned with the Republic in the period before it's reorganization into the Empire, and eventually held the opinion that the Jedi betrayed themselves by serving the politicians. In particular, he was highly critical of the Council's handling of the Battles of Galidraan and Baltizaar during the Clone War. The Jedi's perceived betrayal of the ideals of the Order greatly influenced Dooku in his belief that the Jedi should embrace the dark side and led to his full devotion to the New Order. He would later in life come to regret many of his decisions regarding force-use and study. Dooku did not ever forgive betrayal easily and he appeared to have virtually no tolerance for it. During an encounter as a Jedi Knight with Lorian Nod, his former friend who had once tried to frame him, Dooku nearly killed his adversary but relented after Jocasta Nu successfully appealed to Dooku's honor as a Jedi. After becoming an Imperial Knight, his reactions regarding betrayal took the same ruthless turn as the rest of his behavioral traits; he later killed Nod during the Galactic Civil War without a second thought when Nod attempted to oppose him. A similar scenario would occur when his mistress Octavia Anders attempted to manipulate his former friend, Moloch Himron, into believing that Dooku was trying to kill the Imperial agent. In the end, Dooku and Himron would learn of the deception and the Count was thought to have eliminated her. During the time in which he and Himron were on bad terms, Dooku failed to acknowledge and was almost dismissive that Himron was his equal. Despite his distrustful nature, Dooku did however maintain a long standing friendship with Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin until his death in 0 ABY. The Count was deeply saddened after learning of his friend's passing and attended an Imperial memorial service for him. In contrast to what many considered his more negative traits, Dooku was quite charitable with his money. The Count often donated to many respectable organizations such as orphanages and funded several of his own charities on Serenno. He was a noted singer, specifically in opera, and was also a connoisseur of wine as well as alien art and antiquities. Dooku was able to speak in several languages including Basic, Twi'leki, High Galactic, Old Tionese, and Pak-Pak. He was also considered to be in peak physical condition in his day. Relationships Family Vlad Dooku Joclad Dooku Friends Wilhuff Tarkin Moloch Himron Romances Jocasta Nu Naomi Bellows Willow Goodnight Komari Vosa Powers and abilities Lightsaber training Before it's collapse, Jard Dooku was known as one of the most skilled duelists and lightsaber instructors in the Jedi Order. Though styles that were more practical against blasters were more commonplace, Dooku's competitive spirit drove him toward focusing on dueling, though he maintained a working knowledge of how to protect himself against blasters. In combat, he used his bladework to redirect and deflect, rather than attempting to meet his opponent head-on, fending off enemies with a minimal expenditure of energy before unleashing rapid and devastating counters. As per his training regiments, Dooku relied heavily on his footwork to outmaneuver his enemy, basing himself on balance, back-and-forth charges, and sudden retreats. His skill was such that he could hold his own against up to four opponents with little difficulty. He was one of a very few dueling-centric practitioners in his day, and was virtually unmatched in his mastery of it. Later in life, Dooku learned tactics that focused on disrupting an opponent's concentration by the use of psychological warfare. His most notable usages of the technique were against Luke Skywalker. However, each time he applied it, it backfired, and he only encouraged Skywalker to break through Dooku's defenses and spurred him on to victory. Force abilities Dooku was a renowned student of the Force and learned many of the Jedi arts. He was recognized as a skilled master of telekinesis, and lectured on the subject as a Jedi Master. His skill in telekinesis was usually used to augment his dueling prowess, although he was also capable of a limited form of flight. As a Dark Lord, he sometimes combined telekinesis with the use of Force lightning or Force choke. Dooku had a notable ability to multitask, and used the Force frequently even in the midst of lightsaber combat. Dooku also had knowledge of healing techniques, and once used the Force to heal himself of a deadly plague. In addition, he was able to tame animals and bend them to his will and later learned how to forcibly rip information out of the minds of his enemies with the Force. He would later teach many of these very skills to his pupil, Jorus Sabaoth. Dooku also mastered the Qey'tek meditation, which allowed him to hide his presence in the Force. Other abilities In addition, he was an expert marksman with his golden gun and adept at deep cover operations. Although his island was equipped with various advanced technology such as a laser cannon and an advanced independent power supply, he claimed not to be well-versed in science personally, simply relying on others to do the actual work. He was also a proficient pilot and aviator, judging by the ship he took to escape Moloch Himron. Equipment Apparel Dooku often dressed in a somewhat aristocratic manner even as a Jedi, wearing finely crafted robes and cloaks instead of typical Jedi attire. When he assumed his title of Count, Dooku abandoned his Imperial officer style uniforms and adopted the style of dress worn by Serenno royalty for at least a thousand years. He was usually seen wearing a silver-clasped cloak over a belted tunic and trousers in varying shades of black or brown. His clothes were made of the finest materials. In particular, his dress boots were made out of rare rancor leather, while all his cloaks were lined with armorweave as a protective measure. Lightsabers As a Jedi initiate, Dooku wielded common training lightsabers, but after Thame Cerulian took him as his apprentice, Dooku constructed his own lightsaber. It had a cylindrical hilt of fairly standard design. When Dooku became a Jedi Master, he constructed a more personalized lightsaber that had a curved hilt that allowed for precise movements and was designed for a skilled duelist. It could be shortened with the press of a button, allowing for more flexibility in lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat. This lightsaber had a gold blade, and Dooku wielded it during the Battle of Galidraan. Years later, as a Dark Lord, Dooku installed a red synthetic lightsaber crystal into his curved hilt. Blaster pistols Dooku often carried a custom-made single-shot golden weapon that fired blaster bolts. He used the golden gun in numerous assassinations of officials, political enemies, gangsters, and defecting Imperial agents. Dooku later used the golden gun to kill the Imperial scientist Gibson and the Neimoidian Inner Circle member, Hai Fat. Starships During his time in the Empire, Dooku would often fly his own personalized starship. Count Dooku's personal transport after defecting from the Galactic Empire was a Punworcca 116-class interstellar sloop, a gift from Archduke Poggle the Lesser. It was unarmed, although it sported a tractor beam array. The conning tower of the Confederate command ship Invisible Hand was also refitted to Dooku's specifications. It became known as the "Wizard's Tower," and was both a mobile base of operations and a private sanctum for the Count. Base of operations Throughout his career Dooku made use of a number of retreats, lairs and castles from which to conduct his affairs. These included an apartment, a lair on Kohlma, an entire island on Commenor, his castle on Kaon, and his primary palace on Serenno. Appearances }} Notes and references Category:Males Category:Humans Category:Inhabitants of Coruscant Category:Dark Jedi Category:House of Dooku Category:Confederate leadership Category:Nobility Category:Philosophers Category:Galactic Empire admirals and generals Category:Bureaucrats of the Galactic Empire Category:Imperial Knights Category:Fallen Jedi Category:Force-sensitives Category:Authors Category:Dark Lords Category:Inhabitants of Serenno Category:Yuuzhan Vong collaborators Category:Moffs of the Galactic Empire Category:Post-Ruusan Jedi Knights Category:Republic Army generals Category:Imperial warlords Category:Anzati Category:Inquisitors Category:Torturers and interrogators